Tag Archives: chocolate brandy whipped cream

Once again NYC is in the throes of winter. I’m not amused. Living in NYC has actually made me hate a season I once thought of fondly while growing up in the suburbs. It’s dark, it’s windy, it’s downright frigid. I can’t wear fashion boots because of the slush and corrosive salt. I stay at home more which makes me just want to binge eat, which I can’t do effectively on a paleo diet, meaning I binge eat on almond butter (This will not be a sustainable habit when I get older). I stand by my proclamation that it’s troll season, necessitating me to be somewhat of a recluse, opting for Yoga rather than scoping out men.

Not all is lost however because at Chez C&C, cold weather provides the perfect opportunity for a dinner party. For us francophiles, the logical choice for a February fête is to celebrate Chandeleur – the glorious holiday all about crêpes. I remember when I studied abroad, coming home on February 2nd to 3 courses of crêpes! How can you go wrong with that?

In the wintertime, to combat the harsh weather, the menu should aim to be decadent. For appetizers I made Chorizo-filled, medjool dates, wrapped in bacon. I don’t need to say more other than to say that these are paleo-friendly. Along with some classic French cheeses and a mushroom tapenade, you can tell we were going for a lite menu, no?

Nancy dazzled by making a Provençal Omelette Cake. 5 stacked omelettes finished with a tomato coulis. Completely decadent, oh-so eggy, and quite the crowd-pleaser – this main course of layers was purposefully picked to play on the theme of crêpes.

For dessert, I aimed to impress with another layered centerpiece, a Crêpe cake filled with layers of chocolate-brandy whipped cream. Finished with a chocolate-brandy ganache and truffles, I must say this is surely a show-stopper.

If that wasn’t enough, Nance made some extra crêpe batter and we had dessert crêpes made to order (with options like Nutella, sugar, honey, and Rum) for anyone feeling extra gluttonous. It was a lovely evening – the feel perfectly homey – with just the right amount of wine-drunk conversation, where good food and friends meeting friends proved to be an accomplished goal.

Circling back to my passing thoughts amidst this drab NYC deep freeze, I can’t help but feel slightly off my game in winter. My New Year’s resolutions were all about priorities but winter has a way of making question the worth of the daily grind. For me, as I tackle the goals at the top of my list, I sometimes wonder if I am focusing on the right priorities. As I focus on shifting goals, my free time and energy shrink, a trade off I realized I would have to make for somewhat overexerting myself. Though I’ve lived through almost 3 cycles of Manhattan seasons to know that spring will bring a blossoming of beautiful weather and renewed superhuman drive for us New Yorkers. So I keep telling myself to stay zen and razor-focused. I tell myself I’m building character – let’s hope that’s sound rationalization. Screw you polar vortex.

Winter in NYC is horrid. But honestly, it doesn’t make me love NYC any less. I liken it to the mood swings of a lover, something I can look passed due to its countless redeeming qualities. So where the hell are you Spring? My limited optimism can’t hold out forever.